"If it's an iron pot you need, I actually have one. If you don't mind, I can lend it to you—on one condition. Let me take a look at that machine of yours that can create anything."
Just as Yūshirō Shihōin was struggling with his predicament, a pink-haired, flamboyant male Arrancar approached him and Lilynette.
"One of Barragan's men! "
Lilynette immediately stood up from the ground, her guard raised.
"Hahaha… no need to be so tense. I'm not here to fight. I only came to deliver a message on Lord Barragan's orders."
The pink-haired Hollow waved his hands frantically at the sight of Lilynette getting ready to attack. He had no desire to cross blades with someone who could fire endless Ceros—or worse, a Shinigami whose reiatsu felt even more terrifying than hers. He was a scholar, not a battle-crazed warrior.
"You've got an iron pot? Let me see it! "
Yūshirō's curiosity was piqued. Any Hollow who could hold a proper conversation and restrain their primal urges intrigued him. After all, Hollows and Shinigami were born from the same origin—human souls. Their paths might diverge, but their roots were the same. Ultimately, their evolution led to the same destination.
"Wait a moment…"
The pink-haired Hollow removed a bracelet from his wrist, which transformed into a massive cauldron.
"I don't have a cooking pot, but this cauldron works just as well for boiling, right? "
"Not exactly the vibe I wanted, but it'll do."
Yūshirō nodded, accepting the compromise.
He poured water into the cauldron, added the spicy broth base, and ignited the flames beneath it with a burst of Azure Fire Pendant.
Soon, the water turned into a boiling, blood-red broth. Yūshirō tossed in slices of beef and lamb, cubes of duck blood, and sheets of tripe. His technique was… crude. If a true culinary expert were watching, they might have cried.
"Behold! The legendary Yūshirō-style Sichuan Spicy Hot Pot! "
He set out three dipping bowls and pairs of chopsticks, handing them to Lilynette and the pink-haired Hollow.
"Try it! You've never tasted anything like this."
"…You made one for me too? "
The pink-haired Hollow blinked in surprise, then politely picked up the chopsticks. Food had never mattered to him. Not in life, and certainly not now. He always ate for sustenance, never for pleasure. But this… this was new.
He grabbed a slice of beef, dipped it in the sauce, and popped it into his mouth.
And then—he couldn't stop.
"This flavor…! Nearly perfect! Spicy, numbing… such harmony in what appear to be ordinary ingredients! How can this taste contain such profound truths?! "
Sweat beaded on his forehead. His body burned as the Sichuan heat overwhelmed his senses, yet his hunger only grew.
"Unhealthy! Completely unhealthy! But why… why is it so delicious?! It makes no sense! Absolutely none! "
He kept fishing meat from the bubbling pot, devouring piece after piece, his face flushed and dripping with sweat.
"Hmph! No one in this world can resist the power of hot pot."
Yūshirō smirked, watching the once-dignified Hollow scholar succumb to the glory of Chinese cuisine.
"How is it, Lilynette? "
"…Delicious. I've never tasted anything like this."
Her cheeks flushed as she kept eating, her chopsticks moving nonstop.
"Don't worry, there's plenty more."
Pride and satisfaction welled up in Yūshirō's chest as he shared the essence of his homeland's culinary art.
"By the way, I never asked your name. What should I call you? "
"I am Szayelaporro—scholar and scientist! "
"Ah, so you're humanoid too. Does that mean you're also a Vasto Lorde? "
"Indeed. I ascended through special means, hoping to surpass Vasto Lorde and reach a higher existence. But I failed… Tell me, how did you become this powerful? In all my life, I've never seen a Shinigami like you—no, a being like you! That immense reiatsu, vast as a galaxy… You can't be like those frail Shinigami. Please, tell me! What method did you use to evolve to this level? "
Szayelaporro's eyes burned with obsession.
"I didn't. I was born this way—invincible since birth."
Yūshirō answered honestly, his tone calm and matter-of-fact.
"…Born that way? How disappointing. I thought I'd finally uncover the secret to becoming the ultimate life form."
He sighed, but deep inside, something twisted.
No… that's what makes him perfect!
His breath quickened. His heart pounded. And then, he understood this feeling—
Love.
Not ordinary love. A love so deep it bordered on madness.
"Can I… study you? "
"…Study me? "
"HAHAHAHA!"
Yūshirō laughed like it was the funniest joke in the world.
"If you think you can, go ahead."
Szayelaporro's pupils trembled. His pulse roared in his ears. This wasn't just desire anymore—this was destiny.
"Yes… You're the ultimate life form! No… more than that! You're beyond perfection! You're the pinnacle of evolution I've always dreamed of! "
"Thank you, gods… for guiding me to him."
"…Huh? Scientists believe in gods now? "
"I didn't before… but after meeting you, I do. This is fate! "
Szayelaporro's mind spiraled deeper into the madness that defined him. He had found his obsession, his divine creation—and it bore the name Yūshirō Shihōin.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/Shinazuki